Cork Views: 'It’s time to restore faith in our bus system'

Cork city has heard plenty of promises about public transport over the years. Strategies have been launched, routes redesigned, and glossy plans rolled out. Yet for too many people who rely on buses every day – workers, students, older people, and families – the lived experience remains one of uncertainty and frustration.

Buses that don’t show up, services cancelled without warning, and journeys that take far longer than they should.

As we have said consistently, public transport lives or dies on trust. If people cannot depend on the bus to get them to work, college, or an appointment on time, then the system is already failing, regardless of how good it looks on paper.

That is why improving bus services in Cork must be about delivery, not just design.

But we can’t just admire the problem. We must push the issues and the solutions, and we must do so with urgency. And there is no silver bullet. No one catch-all answer to soothe the angst.

BusConnects has been presented as a transformative project for Cork, and parts of it absolutely have potential. But Connects cannot be reduced to a set of sustainable transport routes or engineering drawings. As we in the Labour Party in Cork city have consistently argued, it must be about re-energising confidence in the bus system itself.

Infrastructure alone will not persuade people out of their cars if their past experience tells them the bus is unreliable.

Reliability is the single most important issue facing bus users in Cork. People can accept a slower journey if it is predictable. What they cannot accept is standing at a bus stop unsure whether the service will arrive at all. Too often, for too long, buses are cancelled or delayed without clear information. That uncertainty hits working people hardest – those who don’t have flexible hours or alternative transport options.

Guaranteed arrivals, or at the very least honest and accurate real-time information, must become non-negotiable. If a service is cancelled, passengers deserve to know immediately. If a bus is running late, the system should say so clearly.

The technology exists to do this properly; the issue is prioritising passengers rather than excusing poor performance.

Contactless payment is another area where Cork must do better. The lack of delivery is unacceptable and Dublin must account for that lack of delivery. We have long argued that getting on a bus should be simple and stress-free. No one should be worrying about cash, exact change, or confusing fare structures. Faster boarding benefits everyone – passengers and drivers alike – and helps keep services moving.

But simplicity must also mean fairness. Automatic fare caps and clear pricing are essential if we want people to feel that public transport represents value for money. Public services should reduce pressure on households, not add to it.

One of the most persistent issues undermining bus reliability in Cork is traffic congestion. Buses are routinely delayed because they are trapped in general traffic. This is not an accident; it is the result of choices.

If we continue to treat buses as an afterthought at junctions and along key corridors, then delays will continue. We know automatic camera enforcement is a tool we can use, but we must wait for the bureaucrats to give us their papal blessing from Government Buildings and the data protection towers.

Where enforcement is consistent, behaviour changes. Cork should not be afraid to use the tools available to keep public transport moving.

I use public transport. I cycle. I drive. I walk. Like most people.

Bus priority must be real, not theoretical. That means traffic lights that actively favour buses and bus lanes that are kept clear.

We have repeatedly highlighted the need for proper enforcement, including the use of cameras at junctions and along bus routes. This is not about penalising drivers for the sake of it. It is about ensuring a bus carrying dozens of people is not delayed by illegal parking or poor traffic management.

Staffing is another issue that cannot be ignored. Services cannot run reliably without enough drivers. Cancellations due to staff shortages are not just an operational issue; they are a failure of planning. Recruitment and retention must be treated as priorities, with proper conditions and respect for the role drivers play in keeping the city moving.

Ultimately, accountability is key. We have said before that Cork people are patient, but they are not naive. They know when progress is real and when it is being talked up. Targets must matter. When performance falls short, there must be explanations and corrective action.

It is my hope that this January will see state agencies come before elected members of council for engagement to take place with solutions. Not finger wagging for the social media clicks, but an honest conversation on the need for the answers to finally come.

Improving bus services in Cork city is not about one grand announcement. It is about consistent delivery: reliable services, simple payment, proper priority, strong enforcement, and respect for passengers.

BusConnects must be more than a sustainable transport project – it must be a project that restores faith in public transport.

If we want people to choose the bus, the bus must choose them first. We can’t just admire the problem. We must push the issues and the solutions – and deliver a system Cork can rely on. And that is my resolution for 2026 for Cork.